1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to an improved data processing system. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for sending and releasing pending electronic messages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, most computers are connected to some type of network. A network allows a computer to share information with other computer systems. The Internet is one example of a computer network.
There is no doubt that the Internet has changed the way people and businesses communicate. For many people and businesses, electronic mail (e-mail) has virtually replaced traditional letters and even telephone calls as the preferred choice of correspondence. Every day, billions of e-mail messages are sent on the Internet. E-mail has been the most rapidly adopted form of communication ever known. In less than two decades, it has gone from obscurity to mainstream dominance.
In the fast-paced world of today, sometimes even the rapid response of e-mail is not fast enough. For that reason, instant messaging (IM) has gained popularity. IM may be implemented in various ways, but in general, it supports the sending and receiving of instant messages to and from other users. Instant messages are correspondence that appears on a computer display of a recipient more or less instantly after being sent. This is opposed to the more traditional e-mail messages, which typically are logged in the system until a recipient wishes to view them.
However, when sending a context sensitive message via either e-mail or IM, the sender may want the message to be viewed only after the sender authorizes release of the message. The sender may, for example, authorize release of the message only after the sender is certain that the receiver understands the context of the message prior to the receiver reading the message. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a computer-implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for sending and releasing pending context sensitive electronic messages.